1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to body support and protection devices; and, more particularly, to such devices used to support and protect areas and parts of the body of a person confined for prolonged periods to a bed, chair, wheelchair, or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Prolonged confinement to a bed, chair, or wheelchair can result in discomfort to the person so confined. Quite often such confinement also results in complications including bed sores (decubiti) or other ulcerations. The discomfort, sores, and ulcerations are generated by the continued contact between particular areas and points of the body with the support surface, such as a mattress and its sheets, or other protective coverings. Lying in a particular position for a prolonged period produces prolonged external pressure on skin and body tissues covering rigid or bony body parts. This compromises the blood supply to these areas which, after a sustained period, results in local necrosis and the formation of sores constituting localized areas of dead tissue over bony body protuberances. Such conditions are aggravated when the patient is thin or has become thin due to prolonged periods of being an invalid and immobile. The discomfort, sores, and ulcerations are further exacerbated when the sheets and other bed coverings bunch up or wrinkle, which can occur with each movement of the person.
Quite often the regular turning of the person to a different position by attendants or hospital staff merely increases the number of body parts afflicted with the discomfort, sores, and ulcers.
Mattress-type body supports of configurations to provide support for particular body areas are known, as shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,548,728 granted on Aug. 4, 1925 to W. D. Milan for Mattress and U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,960 granted on Oct. 25, 1977 to John E. Petril, et al. for Inflatable Body Support Cushion Particularly To Support A Woman During Pregnancy. These body supports are constructed and configured only to accommodate a person lying in a facedown position, and with a peculiar body configuration (such as being pregnant), and as such are not suitable for use to prevent discomfort, sores, and ulcers for a person who must lie or sit for prolonged periods of time. Body part supports such as those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,170,119 granted on Feb. 1, 1916 to F. W. Sefton for Chiropractic Adjusting Table, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,384 granted on Jun. 24, 1986 to E. E. Blosser for Spinal Adjustment Table are also peculiarly adapted to support persons lying in a facedown position and as such are unsuitable for accommodating persons who are confined to lie or sit on their backs, sides, or other similar positions.
Still other specialized body supports are shown and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,730 on Apr. 29, 1986 to E. Rajan for Device For Stabilizing The Pelvis Of A Patient Lying On His Side. This device, however, is only usable for pelvis stabilization and is not suitable or applicable to facilitate reduction in bed sores and ulcerations for persons who are confined to beds or wheelchairs for prolonged periods but who are permitted to assume a number of positions while doing so.
Other mattress type body supports are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,974 granted on Feb. 25, 1969 to J. C. Stuart for Compartmented Air Mattress, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,155 granted on Sep. 22, 1981 to P. B. Hanson for Articulated Bed, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,526 granted on Dec. 14, 1971 to E. P. R. Viel for Mattresses and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,071 granted on Jun. 24, 1969 to J. G. Whiteley for Means For Removing Pressure From Pressure Sores. The Stuart type mattress (U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,974) however, is merely made up of a number of inflatable sections of identical configuration and which are individually inflated to different pressures if desired and does not accommodate different body parts so as to minimize or prevent sores and ulcers. The Hanson type mattress (U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,155) is constructed with cut-outs to accommodate a couple engaged in sexual intercourse in various positions and is completely unsuited for relieving pressure on body parts of persons confined to bed for prolonged periods. A mattress of the Viel type (U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,526) requires a highly complex construction which, when completed, is best suited to accommodate the body configuration of a single individual and is thus costly and lacks versatility. While a mattress of the Whiteley type (U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,071) is constructed for persons with trochanteric pressure sores on their hips, the reference neither teaches nor shows constructions suitable and adaptable to other body parts. In addition, the Whiteley construction requires utilizing a large number of abutting ancillary pads in conjunction with the decubitus pad and thus increases the relative cost of the device while adding to the number of pads that must be stored and utilized.
Available and known constructions, such as those described above, moreover, are of mattress or bed size and are peculiarly configured to support a person in the prone position.
Known pressure relieving pads are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,738 granted on Apr. 26, 1960 to K. J. Whelan for Pressure-Relieving Pad. Such a pad construction requires the use of holes to accommodate particular body parts of the user and in doing so, may present juncture lines about such holes that may add to the discomfort of the user and may, in and of themselves, create sores and ulcerations. In addition, possible close contact between other surfaces of such pads and the body parts of the user may prevent air circulation and add further to user discomfort and to possible sores and ulcerations.
Devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,235 granted on Jun. 2, 1981 to G. L. Gutmann for Arm Support Pillow, on the other hand, are configured to support only an arm of a convalescing patient. That device does so with relatively stiff and unyielding material and in only one particular disposition. Alternatively, devices such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,879 granted on Jun. 21, 1966 to H. E. Hipps for Invalid Heel Pad, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,497 granted on Aug. 9, 1949 to M. B. Morrison for Rest and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,079 granted on Jul. 14, 1981 to Orit Simboni, et al for Negative Heel Protector Cushion are intended to support heels and feet of patients but again do so with devices made of various kinds of foam rubber, leather, and Kapock which cradle the limb under conditions which do not facilitate air circulation about the body part and disposition of the body part in other than a prone body position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,516 for Pillow-Like Body Supports and Protectors and System of Same, the present inventor disclosed a system of body support and protection devices for reducing these problems. That patent discloses a new and improved system for supporting and protecting body parts utilizing pillow-like supports and protectors. The system is designed for use in a sitting or a prone position. Supports and protectors are disclosed for the torso, the arms, the elbows, and the heels. These provide a soft cushion support while permitting the flow of air about the body part to minimize or eliminate bed sores and ulcers.
The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,516 discloses a system of pillow-like supports and body protectors for supporting body parts while either in a prone or sitting position. Supports and protectors are provided for the torso, arms, elbows, and heels of a person. The invention effectively provides a soft cushion support for these body parts while permitting the flow of air about the body part to thus minimize or eliminate bed sores and ulcers.
However, recovering patients may suffer from sores or ulcers on body parts other than the torso, arms, elbows, and heels. Additionally, patients recovering from certain types of surgery, e.g., breast surgery, can have very tender and sensitive areas of the body which require support and ventilation. Body parts that require support and ventilation include the head and cervical region, spine, coccyx, head and shoulder area, elbows, buttocks, and breasts.
Moreover, it has been discovered that conventional support pads simply press against the skin of a patient and do not adequately allow ambient air to enter in between the pad and the skin. This lack of aeration can be uncomfortable and unhealthy.